Smooth surfaced bowling ball with apertures therein



April 11, 1961 c. F. MITCHELL 2,979,334

SMOOTH SURFACED BOWLING BALL WITH APERTURES THEREIN Filed April 23, 1958 INVENTOR. CHARLESFMITCHELL www ATTYS.

FIG. 4 FIG.5

United States Patent "ice SMOOTH SURFACED BOWLING BALL WITH APERTURES THEREIN Charles F. Mitchell, 181 Crescent Drive, Akron, Ohio Filed Apr. 23, 1958, Ser. No. 730,343

2 Claims. (Cl. 273-63) The present invention relates to bowling ball finger or thumb hole insert pads or patches, and especially to such patches or pads adapted to be inserted into the finger and/or thumb holes in a bowling ball to improve the gripping action between the bowlers hand and the bowling ball.

Heretofore there have been various different types of bowling ball finger patches or pads provided and these pads are provided to be inserted into a finger or thumb hole in a bowling ball to improve the grip between a bowlers hand and the bowling ball. One of such grips that has been very effective is shown in my prior United States Letters Patent No. 2,708,578., Such pads or patches have been particularly effective, however, in the holes in bowling balls engaged by a players finger, or fingers. When a bowlers thumb is engaging a bowling ball, it seems to have more of a direct axial slide pull-out effected than has the finger, or fingers. Thus, the provision of ribs and other positive engagement means protruding from the patch for the thumb hole of the bowling ball has not been really satisfactory in the past. Hence, thumb patches have, in many instances, been of different design than the patches to be used in finger engaging holes of the ball. Thus, the patch may have a smooth surface thereon, or it may have a slightly broken surface thereon, such as only having one transversely extending slot or similar member therein as shown in my prior Patent No. 2,777,693.

While such previous types of pads have been very satisfactory in operation, it always is possible to improve thereon. Bowlers are constantly seeking the best possible means for extremely accurate control .of the ball by the Another object of the invention is to provide a novel type of a bowling ball insert pad which is inexpensive but yet which will give effective control action. for a thumb or finger engaged therewith.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bowling ball insert pad wherein it has effective engaging action with the thumb of a bowler even though thethumb is inserted into the hole in the bowling ball in which the patch is positioned varying distances.

. The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will be made more apparent as the specification proceeds.

Reference now should be had to the structure shown in the drawings, and wherein: Fig.1 is an elevation,-partially broken away andshown in section, of a bowlers hand engaged with a bowling ball 2,979,334 Patented Apr. 11, 1961 having a thumb insert pad of the invention provided therein;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a novel bowling ball pad of the invention; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views of modified bowling ball pads of the invention.

When referring to corresponding parts shown in the drawings and referred to in the specification, corresponding numerals are used to facilitate comparison therebetween. i

Referring now particularly to the details of the structure shown in the drawings, a bowling ball 1 is shown and it has a finger receiving or engaging hole 2 provided therein and the thumb hole 3 in the ball. A bowlers hand H is shown engaged with the ball 1 with a finger in the hole 2 and with the bowlers thumb being received in the hole 3. A bowling ball pad 4 is shown in position in the finger hole 2 while a bowling ball pad embodying the principles of the invention is'indicated as a whole by the numeral 5. Such pad 5 is positioned in the thumb hole 3. Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings best bring out the fact that the pad 5 extends around about one-third of the periphery of the thumb hole 3 and they also show that a hole or aperture 6 is formed in the pad. The hole 6 has a diameter at least two to three times the thickness of the pad 5 and with a maximum width of about four times the thickness of such pad 5.

The pad 5 may be made from any suitable material and it includes a strip or layer 10 made from a rubbercork composition such as disclosed in my previous patent, or patents, which composition is very effective in making these articles. However, the layer 10 can be made from conventional natural or synthetic rubber material, or compounds thereof and also could be made from leather, or similar porous substances having the desired strength properties. I

Fig. 3 of the drawings best shows that-the pad 5 when initially assembled has a layer, or strip of pressure sensitive adhesive 7 on the back surface of the layer 10, v This pressure sensitive adhesive layer 7 is carried on both faces of a center carrier sheet (not shown) as described in my US. Patent No. 2,708,578. Such adhesive 7 is, of course,- eifectively bonded to the back surface of the layer lfl,

whereas the opposite surface of this adhesive layer 7 has-a. flexible strip 8 secured thereto, and made frompaper or. similan material. Such strip 8 may be longitudinally split] adjacent the center thereof for facilitating removal-of the, strip from the adhesive layer at thetime of'use of the;pad@

Of course, the strip 8 may be onef 5 of the invention. continuous member and when the pad 5 .is to be assembled in a thumb hole 3, such strip 8 is removed from the pad 5. Then the pad can be inserted into the bowling ball thumb hole 3 and be forced against the wall thereof. Thereafter, the pressure sensitive adhesive 7 will retain the patch 5 in fixed position to facilitate effective grasping engagement of the bowlers thumb with such thumb hole 3.

Preferably the top or upper end of the layer 10 is I tapered or beveled as at 9, and, if desired, the side edges of this layer 10 can likewise be beveled off or tapered to provide smoother engagement or less break inthe' periphery of the hole 3 in which the pad is positioned at the lateral margins of the pad 5 of the invention.

this pad 5, then a portion of the bowlers thumb, will engage at least an edge portion of this hole 6 atall instances regardless of how far the thumb is inserted into the thumb hole 3 as long as anyreal engagement between the thumb and hole 3 is obtained. The sharp edges of the hole Ga-t' i V the outer surface thereof in the layer 10 greatly facilitate obtaining a good frictional engagement with a bowlers thumb but yet permit sliding movement of the bowlers thumb over the patch at the actual instant of ball release. The hole 6 has a center axis normal to the plane of the layer and the outer edges of the hole provide sharp right angled corners to improve frictional contact with the bowlers finger. The layer 10 would be about A thick and the hole 6 usually is about & to in diameter.

The aperture or hole 6 will at all times be positioned in the outer half of the bowling ball patch of the invention and, by its size, will engage either the ball of the thumb, or first joint of a finger when the finger or thumb is engaged with the bowling ball hole even though the thumb is not completely inserted therein.

It will be seen that these bowling ball patches or pads of the invention can be used in either the thumb or finger hole of a bowling ball, but preferably they are used in the thumb hole as improved frictional engagement and release action results between the thumb and the particular patch of the invention. The patch lends itself to more effective control of the bowling ball by the bowler at the instant of release. The pressure of the bowlers thumb in engagement with the pad will naturally force some flesh of the thumb in to this hole 6 because of the relatively wide diameter of the hole in relation to the thickness of the pad and thus the sharp edges defining the hole 6 will be forced into the bowlers thumb and good frictional engagement will result.

In the modified structure shown in Fig. 4, a bowling ball patch or pad 5a is shown and this patch is made from a layer or sheet of desirable material like that used in making the pad 5, shown in Figs. 1 through 3. In this embodiment of the invention, a plurality of friction providing holes 21 are provided in the outer half portion only of the layer or sheet 20, but in this instance, the holes 21 are of smaller diameter so that a larger number of holes need be provided for providing the desired frictional engagement with the bowlers finger or thumb. In this instance, the holes 21 would have a diameter of between about one to two times the thickness of the layer 20 which likewise would be of about 5 in thickness.

The modified finger or thumb bowling patch or pad 5b of Fig. 5 has a smaller number of holes provided therein than in the structure shown in Fig. 4. In this instance, these holes 30 would have a diameter, preferably, of about two to three times the thickness of the sheet material from which the patch is made. The patch 5b would be secured in place by pressure sensitive adhesive. holes 30 and 21 may be placed many desired arrangement in the patches as long as they are in the outer half thereof and have sharp outer edges for frictional engagement with a bowlers thumb.

The

In all embodiments of the invention shown, the bowling ball insert pads or patches are particularly effective at providing a good frictional contact between the bowlers thumb or finger and the bowling ball. Furthermore, the bowling ball pads or patches are effective in withdrawing moisture from the bowlers fingers and this aids in pro viding the desired effective gripping action for the ball. Hence, it is believed that a more positive control has been provided by use of the bowling ball pad of the invention. Thus the objects thereof have been achieved and an inexpensive, but very satisfactory article has been provided for improving the results in a bowlers game.

While several complete embodiments of the invention have been disclosed herein, it will be appreciated that modification of these particular embodiments of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a bowling ball having a thumb and a finger hole therein and a bowling ball hole pad comprising a flexible backing sheet means engaging a surface in one of the bowling ball holes, said backing sheet means having a pressure sensitive adhesive on both surfaces thereof, and a flexible layer of uniform thickness secured to and extending the length of said backing layer on the outer surface thereof, said layer having only one hole therein, said hole having a diameter several times the thickness of the strip provided therein in the axially outer section of the strip as positioned in said hole, said hole in said layer extending normal to the layer and having sharp outer corners thereon, said hole being engageablc by a bowlers thumb adjacent the joint therein.

2. In combination, a bowling ball having a thumb and a finger hole therein and a bowling ball hole pad comprising a flexible backing sheet means engaging a surface in one of the holes in the bowling ball, said backing sheet means having a pressure sensitive adhesive on both surfaces thereof, and a flexible layer of uniform thickness secured to and extending the length of said backing layer on the outer surface thereof, said pad having a plurality of holes therein of a diameter at least the thickness of the pad provided therein in the axially outer section of the pad as positioned in said hole, said hole in said pad extending normal to said layer and having sharp outer corners thereon, said hole being engageable by a bowlers finger or thumb adjacent the joint therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent 

